Crimson Cliffs opens Region 9 boys golf season with win at Cedar Ridge

CEDAR CITY — The boys golf teams of the eight high schools in Region 9 teed off at Cedar Ridge Golf Course in Cedar City Wednesday afternoon, for the first match of the year.

Crimson Cliffs High School players after winning the first Region 9 boys golf match of the season, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 5, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The Crimson Cliffs Mustangs, who went undefeated last year en route to the school’s first state championship in its first year of existence, picked up right where they left off, winning the season-opening competition with a score of 296, just four strokes over par.

Leading the way for Crimson Cliffs was freshman Boston Bracken, who shot a four-under par 69, sinking five birdies against one bogey and parring all the remaining holes.

Crimson Cliffs also boasted the second and third best individual scores for the day, as junior Zach Felts shot a 72 and fellow junior Cruz Kirchhausen shot a 74 on the par-73 course. Rounding out the Mustangs’ top-four scorecard was senior Luke Schone, who shot an 81.

Crimson Cliffs head coach Todd Meyer said he was pleased with his team’s strong start and said the Mustangs are early favorites to repeat as both region and state champions. 

“This team is very competitive and has tons of tournament experience,” Meyer told St. George News. “Our team goals are to surpass last year’s team, who set a very high bar. But I think this team has the ability to shoot some really low team scores. We know if we play our very best, we should defend the state title in 2020.”

Coming in second place with a team score of 314 were the Hurricane Tigers, who were paced by Michael Stirland’s 75 and Preston Monson’s 77.

Players compete at the first Region 9 boys golf match of the season, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 5, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Pine View finished third with 318 strokes, while Desert Hills placed fourth with 326. Dixie finished fifth with a 333, while host team Cedar was just one stroke behind the Flyers with a score of 334. Canyon View posted a 358 and Snow Canyon scored 361.

Wednesday’s windy round at Cedar Ridge hardly seemed like the same course where the Region 9 girls teams had competed nearly five months earlier, on March 11, one day before the Utah High School Activities Association shut down all of the spring sports seasons statewide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although school has not yet started in most districts throughout Utah, the the fall sports seasons are already beginning to get underway this week and next, with football contests slated to begin next Friday, Aug. 14.

The next scheduled Region 9 golf match is Aug. 13 at SunRiver Golf Club in St. George.

Region 9 boys golf results, Week 1

Cedar Ridge, Aug. 5 (18 holes)

  1. Crimson Cliffs 296
  2. Hurricane 314
  3. Pine View 318
  4. Desert Hills 326
  5. Dixie 333
  6. Cedar 334
  7. Canyon View 358
  8. Snow Canyon 361

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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